Fiber Backhaul Versus Licensed Microwave
When does fiber win, when does licensed microwave win, and when do you need both?
WISPs have two primary ways to bring capacity to a tower: fiber backhaul and licensed microwave. Each has strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases. Many mature networks use both: fiber where it is available and microwave where construction costs or geography make fiber impractical.
This article compares the two technologies across the dimensions that matter for tower backhaul.
Fiber backhaul
Fiber backhaul uses a physical fiber-optic cable between the tower and a provider point of presence (POP) or data center. It is the gold standard for capacity, reliability, and latency.
Pros
- Massive capacity (1 Gbps to 100 Gbps and beyond)
- Very low, consistent latency
- Immune to radio interference and weather
- Long lifespan with minimal degradation
- Easier to secure physically
Cons
- Construction costs can be high
- Long lead times (60–120+ days)
- Single point of failure if not diverse
- Not available at every tower location
Licensed microwave
Licensed microwave uses regulated spectrum (typically 6 GHz, 11 GHz, 18 GHz, 23 GHz, or higher) to transmit data wirelessly between two points. It requires FCC licenses in the United States.
Pros
- Faster deployment than fiber
- No trenching or construction permits
- Effective across difficult terrain
- Good capacity (hundreds of Mbps to multiple Gbps)
- Natural path diversity when paired with fiber
Cons
- Requires licensed spectrum and regulatory coordination
- Subject to rain fade and atmospheric conditions
- Requires line of sight between endpoints
- Tower space, power, and antenna alignment requirements
- Lower total capacity than fiber at the high end
Decision matrix
| Scenario | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Fiber is available with reasonable construction cost | Fiber |
| Tower is remote or terrain blocks fiber build | Licensed microwave | Need capacity >10 Gbps | Fiber |
| Need deployment in under 30 days | Licensed microwave |
| Need redundant secondary path | Different technology than primary |
Need help choosing backhaul?
SmashByte Wireless sources both fiber and licensed microwave options and designs diverse-path redundancy strategies.
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